David Aldana races a Bob Work Yamaha XV920-based Battle of the Twins machine at Laguna Seca in 1983. The XV was heavily modified from its humdrum stock specs. The bike used a Wasco frame, the forks were Yamaha TZ-spec and the motor was hot-rodded big time. The weak link they found was the cam chain tensioners, which would often fail if the motor was over-revved.
Aldana said he remembers leading the ’83 Laguna BOTT race for a short time.
“I got out front and was leading the race,” Aldana said. “I remember thinking, ‘This is going to be easy.’ And when I was asked to ride it I figured ‘What the heck, I was there, might as well give it a try.’
“It worked good. It handled and stopped good, but it didn’t last long. Unfortunately, it blew up. After that I don’t think it got anymore development and it just sort of faded away.”
When asked if he could remember any more details on the bike Aldana elaborated, “To me nothing was ever fast enough,” Aldana grinned. “It was a little high centered. I remember it being tall off the ground, but once you get going you kind of lean it over until the tires slip or something drags. It was good enough to lead the race, but it just didn’t have a long enough fuse.”
David Aldana races a Bob Works Yamaha XV920-based Battle of the Twins machine at Laguna Seca in 1983. Aldana said he remembers leading the ’83 Laguna BOTT race on the machine for a short time before the motor broke. (Cycle News Photo Collection)
Rider Files 
This just in from vintage racing pioneer Michael Green:
Just read you bit on Aldana on the XV920 Yam… I was in that race that day with our ’73 Tri T140 with HAP JONES & AVON Tyres sponsorship…
I spoke with Dave before the race, it was like “riding a bus” as I told him, as Bud Riddle raced one as well and I’d raced against it many times in AFM Open Twins in 1983/84… Like Dave, I broke too, clutch issue. In 1985 the last year we raced the Tri at Laguna it lead every lap of the new 750 prod class… until the crank broke coming up the hill to the corkscrew. Jack Wilson from Big-D in Dallas said afterwards in his Texas accent; “Yes sir, you know you’re making hour power in that Triumph if you’re breaking them crankshafts!”
Michael Green
West Coast British
Livermore, CA
West Coast British Racing aka WCBR
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Bob Work could build a piece that would finally find the weakest part an it would let them down. But his 2 strokes too Steve Baker to the top of the World ladder. Baker and Work. They won it all.
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I had an XV920RH on the street. A real orphan. I never saw another one. But it was actually a pretty good sport tourer. Decent brakes and supsension, good low end torque. With a little development Yamaha could have made a nice Ducati contender like the VTR1000 or Suzuki TL’s. But in the early 80’s no one wanted that. Yamaha was about 10 years too early with the XV. But they sold tons of those ugly Viragos. Go figure.
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I’m the current owner of Aldana’s Yamaha XV920R BOTT racebike. I bought it years ago at Mid-Ohio, in pieces. I have the motor with a blown front cylinder, the monocoque frame (race geometry modified), a couple crates of spares, a donor bike for restoration use, and tons of paperwork including Bob Work’s notes. I have an XV920R cafe racer I’ve built too. I’m considering selling the Aldana bike with the donor bike. Also, for some reason, when I purchased the Aldana bike it came with a Yamaha XV750 chain drive motor. Yamaha sold a few of those for flat track racing. However, it’s ported/flowed heads are on my 920 cafe racer. I met Aldana at a motorcycle event. We talked about the BOTT bike and he confirmed that I do indeed have that bike. He hated the way it handled, but it was fast. If anyone is interested in buying the Aldana BOTT bike, email me at my work email (home email is dead) rlincoln@sealstrip.com.
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Do you still have that bike Bob?
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Note reference to WASCO frame mods – Dick WASCher worked much magic on racebikes around Puget Sound. I couldn’t get enough of seeing Bob Works’ XV920 at Westwood, BC. At Seattle’s SIR/Pacific Raceway, Ray Baker had a similar XV920. Too bad about the DNFs.
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